• During the lesson, keep the focus on establishing a clear understanding of literary nonfiction text structures. Observe students while they analyze the biographies and note which students appear to have difficulty identifying literary elements.
• Use the following checklist to evaluate students’ understanding:
  • Student identifies the main characters in a literary nonfiction text.
  • Student identifies the setting in a literary nonfiction text.
  • Student identities the plot, including conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in a literary nonfiction text.
  • Student identifies the theme (stated or implied) in a literary nonfiction text.

Focus Question: How does an author use craft and structure in literary nonfiction texts?

Part 1

Review the literary elements of fiction. Ask students to brainstorm what they know about the following elements. Record students’ responses on chart paper.

• character: person, narrator, subject in the story
• plot:the events that take place in the story
  • problem/conflict: the problem that the subject is faced with
  • rising action: events that become complicated and create tension and suspense
  • climax: the turning point in the story, which marks a change for the better or worse
  • falling action: the event that occurs right before the resolution
  • resolution: unraveling or unknotting of the problem, which is either solved or not solved
  • setting: where and when the story takes place
  • theme: the main idea or underlying message, which may be stated or implied

Draw the following plot triangle on chart paper:

Use “The Three Little Pigs” to review the different elements of a plot:

• conflict/problem: The wolf wants to eat the pigs.
• rising action: The pigs leave home. Each pig builds a different type of house. The wolf blows down the first two houses.
• climax: The wolf gets angry because he can’t blow down the third pig’s house. He goes down the chimney. The pigs trick the wolf and boil him in a pot of water.
• falling action: The pigs are safe.
• resolution: The pigs live happily ever after.

Say, “Authors use character, plot, setting, and theme when they write fictional stories. They also use these elements in literary nonfiction, which we will be exploring in biographies.”

Read aloud the biography The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. After reading the story, model for students how to complete the Elements of Literary Nonfiction graphic organizer (L-5-2-2_Elements of Literary Nonfiction.doc). The answers to the graphic organizer are given below.

Character: French aerialist Philippe Petit

Plot:

• conflict: Philippe wanted to walk a tightrope between the Twin Towers, which was illegal.
• rising action:
  • Philippe and his friends dressed as construction workers and at nightfall carried all of the equipment to the top of the buildings.
  • Philippe and his friends had some complications with setting up the equipment but completed it just in time.
  • climax: Philippe was arrested for spending hours walking, dancing, and performing tricks across the tightrope.
  • falling action: The judge sentenced Philippe to perform in the park for the children of the city.
  • resolution: Philippe was happy with the judge’s decision.

Setting: August 7, 1974, in New York City, at the World Trade Center

Theme: Follow your dreams

Part 2

Have small groups use the biographies listed in Materials, or others of your choice, to identify nonfiction literary elements. Give each group a copy of the Elements of Literary Nonfiction graphic organizer (L-5-2-2_Elements of Literary Nonfiction.doc).

Say, “Find a biography to read as a group. Then work together to complete the graphic organizer.”

After students have read their books and completed the graphic organizer, have them share their biographies in a large-group discussion by summarizing the major events they recorded on their graphic organizers.

Help students determine similarities between fiction and literary nonfiction elements. Say, “How are the text structures of fiction and literary nonfiction similar? Discuss with a partner, using the example of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and the biography The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.” Guide students to see that both fiction and literary nonfiction are structured around the elements of character, plot, setting, and theme.

Distribute an Elements of Literary Nonfiction graphic organizer to each student to complete individually, using one of the books by Jean Fritz (listed in Materials) or a biography of his/her choice.

Extension:

• For students who need additional opportunities for learning, use the biographies listed in Related Resources. Guide students to identify the elements of literary nonfiction and see how these are used to create text structure.
• Have students who are ready to go beyond the standard read one of the biographies in Related Resources and then create a bio-poem about the subject of the biography. Tell students to follow the bio-poem directions below.

Bio-poem

• Line 1: the subject’s first name (character)
• Line 2: three or four adjectives that describe the subject
• Line 3: one major problem the subject faces (conflict)
• Line 4: three or four major events that challenge the subject in reaching his or her goal or dream (rising action)
• Line 5: the turning point in the subject’s life (climax)
• Line 6: accomplishments (resolution)
• Line 7: the theme suggested through the subject or the author’s perspective (The theme may be stated or implied.)
• Line 8: the subject’s residence (setting)
• Line 9: the subject’s last name